Within the pure white space, Rochet was expressing his understanding of Fengrao with a near-artistic grace.
He brought his index and middle fingers together, and a strand of warm, vibrant emerald energy gathered and swirled at his fingertips, like a strange plant endlessly cycling between growth and withering.
Fengrao—people are often confined by its surface, seeing it as unconditional blessing and healing. But that’s just the shallowest understanding.
Remember, Fengrao is a concept. Everything it manifests is an extension of that concept. All things in the universe can be considered life. As long as it’s life, it can promote, nurture, and cycle.
Shi Hanfeng couldn’t help but recall how Doctor Luo had once healed Xueyi’s puppet body, and the fragrant saliva cheese crafted from Fengrao’s Fragrant Saliva that had swelled without limit and eventually filled an entire universe. A faint understanding began to dawn in his heart.
Of course, how a concept is used, how power is wielded, ultimately differs from person to person.
What I want to say is—
Rochet shifted his tone, smiling slightly, not mocking but rather like a teacher pointing out areas for a student to improve.
The way you used Wish of the White Flower was too clumsy. Healing has never been a simple infusion of power.
Before his words even faded, the energy at his fingertips contracted sharply, transforming into countless threads of micro-light thinner than a hair, flowing lightly through the air.
Wish of the White Flower—there’s nothing wrong with defining it as healing. But why can’t it be a more delicate form of manipulation?
As he spoke, a strand of green light pierced the pure white ground.
The next moment, a tender green sprout broke through the earth at a visible speed, unfurled its leaves, then withered into dust in an instant, the entire process so swift it seemed like an illusion.
You see, growth can be accelerated, or all life can be drained in an instant.
Used on an enemy, this minuscule energy thread could instantly clog their blood vessels, disrupt their nerves, or even force something within them to grow fatally out of control.
Shi Hanfeng trembled inwardly, instinctively calling upon the power of Fengrao within him, attempting to mimic this fine control.
Yet his power was like a surging stream—no matter how he tried, it was impossible to split off a thread of energy both precise and carrying a distinct intent.
Don’t be impatient.
Rochet seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly.
This requires repeated practice, and even deeper understanding. Understanding the flow of life, the logic of how energy operates within living beings. Your foundation is solid, but what you lack is a shift in perspective.
With that, he flipped his palm. Emerald light spread outward, forming a domain about three meters in diameter centered on him.
Where the light shone, the ground was bathed in a gentle glow symbolizing life, making him appear like a deity who ruled over vitality—though his explanation made him more like a rigorous scholar.
As for the Cycle of Vitality, you see it as a halo, as a domain—yes, but not entirely.
It is an extension of the power of Fengrao, but its core lies in the cycle itself.
The growth of living beings is always drawing energy from the outside world—even Star Gods are no exception.
He took a light step forward, the edge of the halo touching a patch of void.
A wondrous sight appeared. That empty space began to ripple almost imperceptibly, like water, as a faint wisp of energy was forcibly stripped away and absorbed into the halo, making the emerald glow even brighter.
See—even in nothingness, there is scattered energy.
What if a living enemy were within this field?
Rochet’s eyes glimmered with reason.
With every breath, every heartbeat, the flow of blood, the contraction of muscles—all release energy outward.
What I’m using now is the power to capture this energy, which would otherwise disperse into the world, and draw it to myself.
The more the enemy struggles, the faster their vitality drains, while I continue to recover.
This cycle of loss and gain—that is the true meaning of rotation.
So in a game, this passive barrier is a true perpetual motion machine in reality.
If the enemy stays still, I recover.
If they move, I recover even more.
If they’re injured, I start draining directly.
If this power existed in games at this level, how could DOT teams ever be the clowns?
And finally—there’s the Fulfillment of Burial.
Rochet withdrew the halo.
You used it to dispel negative effects, which isn’t wrong, but its scope could be even broader.
Its essence isn’t merely simple dispelling, but confrontation and overwriting.
Using higher-level, purer Fengrao energy to forcibly neutralize and annihilate lower-grade foreign energies.
He extended his finger again, the green light at the tip purer and more concentrated than before, as if it held the power to cleanse all things.
Its purpose is far beyond dispelling curses or toxins.
At its core, it’s overwhelming power—using the vitality of Fengrao to counter all forms of harm.
Of course, this depends on the strength and purity of your own energy. Even I cannot dispel the Star God powers used by other Fatewalkers.
Once the theoretical explanation ended, the practical phase began. In this pure white space devoid of the concept of time, moments and eternity seemed indistinguishable.
No one knew how long had passed before a light finally flickered at Shi Hanfeng’s fingertips—not a single chaotic mass, but a gently shimmering form, showing hints of differentiation.
Though it was far from Rochet’s effortless mastery, for him, it was a qualitative leap.
To wield this power himself, without relying on a template.
Very good.
Rochet nodded in approval, dispersing the energy in his hand, and summarized.
Everything you have seen is understanding and extension of the power of Fengrao. Healing, draining, purification, growth…all originate from the same source. The rest, you must comprehend on your own.
He bowed slightly, still graceful and composed, a meaningful smile on his lips.
This is the limit of what I can teach you. I look forward to seeing your brilliance next time we meet.
As his words fell, his figure dissolved into countless shimmering points of light, scattering like dandelions in the pure white space, leaving only Shi Hanfeng standing alone.
He remained there, digesting Rochet’s teachings in his mind.
Fine control, energy siphoning, rules of confrontation…
Rochet had opened a brand new door for him—behind it lay endless possibilities concerning the essence of Fengrao.
A master leads the way; cultivation is up to the individual.
Understanding and mastering these is by no means easy.
At that moment, the pure white in front of him began to fade and twist, and a wave of disorientation washed over him again.
The next instant, his consciousness snapped back to his body, like surfacing from deep water.
What met his eyes was the characteristic milky white sky of the Dust Song Pot.
But then he sensed something was wrong.
Centered on him, within a ten-meter radius, the grass, soil, even the floating dust particles in the air, were all covered in a layer of crystalline frost, as if time itself had briefly frozen in this patch of space.
And he was at the core of it.
The chill quickly faded from his body, and as he regained awareness, the frost also melted at high speed, revealing fresh green grass and moist earth beneath, untouched.
Within just a few breaths, everything returned to normal, with only a trace of cold lingering in the air as evidence of the recent anomaly.
Hiss…
Shi Hanfeng sat up, stretching his slightly stiff limbs.
Recalling the description from the Memory Crystal, he suddenly understood.
Destiny Echo: Memory Crystal—this commotion truly is a literal ‘echo’ of fate. It even knocked me right into Leaving God.
He carefully checked himself and his surroundings, confirming that aside from the momentary freezing, there was no other damage.
On the contrary, his mind was clearer than ever, and his perception and control over his inner power had reached a new height.
The power of Fengrao flowed gently through his veins and soul, like an innate instinct.
As he calmed, Rochet’s teachings replayed clearly in his mind.
Shi Hanfeng closed his eyes, steadied himself, and focused on the flow of power within. The once vague, skill-bound warmth was now sharper—he could ‘see’ countless fine streams of green light, circulating within him, brimming with vitality.
He tried to follow Rochet’s instructions, manipulating them with precision.
Operating in reality was much harder than in the consciousness space.
At last, after countless attempts, a thread of emerald energy, no thicker than a hair, quivered out from his fingertip, wriggling like a newborn snake, then precisely pierced into a fragment of stone ahead.
One second, two seconds…
Nothing happened to the stone.
Shi Hanfeng frowned, focusing harder.
Suddenly, with a faint crack, tiny fissures spread from the point of energy impact on the stone’s surface.
Then, a tender but resilient green sprout forced its way through the crack, swaying gently.
Although he was still far from Rochet’s effortless, instant growth and annihilation, this was undoubtedly a new beginning.
He had broken free of the system skill framework, truly starting to understand and wield the power of Fengrao.
As his excitement faded, Shi Hanfeng remembered something else and opened his ‘Destiny Apostle’ panel.
[Level: LV1 (300/300)]
[Upgrade to LV2?]
After two days, he’d gained so many good things that he almost forgot about his other rewards.
Confirm upgrade.
A faint warm current surged into his body, circulating before fading away as the panel refreshed:
[Destiny Apostle: Shi Hanfeng (LV2) (0/3000)]
[Skill: Universal Language LV1]
[Basic Attributes: Strength 17, Agility 17, Constitution 17, Intelligence 17, Spirit 17, Charm 18]
[Unlocked: Apostle-exclusive Storage Space]
emmmm…
Well, even a mosquito’s leg is still meat.
Going from LV1 to LV2 only required 300 experience, but from LV2 to LV3 it jumped to 3000—a tenfold increase, truly staggering.
The all-attributes +1 from leveling up was nice, but what interested him more was the newly unlocked ‘Apostle Space.’
He concentrated, sensing a transparent cubic space one meter per side within his consciousness.
Items could be stored and retrieved at will, but time inside the space flowed the same as outside.
That’s it?
Shi Hanfeng raised an eyebrow, giving his assessment.
Chicken ribs.
The new space’s function completely overlapped with his game inventory.
Still, he knew that for most apostles without storage abilities, this was an invaluable strategic resource.
But for someone who already possessed a one-cubic-meter time-stop backpack, it felt redundant.
This Apostle Space would probably serve as storage for less important items, or as a supply depot like others used.
And now, with the Dust Song Pot, even the need for backup supplies was greatly reduced.
When his gaze fell on the experience required for the next upgrade, Shi Hanfeng’s mouth twitched.
Tenfold increase?
Seriously?
He sighed, giving up on any thoughts of quickly leveling up in the short term.
Judging by the rewards from his last mission, just how difficult would a task have to be to gather enough?
Don’t even think about it for now.
The path of leveling up is long and winding.
In the days that followed, Shi Hanfeng settled into a steady routine.
By day, he was almost always immersed in the Dust Song Pot: sometimes meditating on the flow of energy within, sometimes practicing fine control on flowers, plants, or even rocks he’d brought in, sometimes activating the Cycle of Vitality halo to study the mysterious process of energy siphoning.
His understanding of Fengrao deepened daily—though still far from Rochet’s level, he could now achieve results similar to those he’d reached before using a template.
At night, he returned to a luxury suite in the Qiming Star center, playing games and bantering with Xu Chaoyun to unwind his tense nerves.
Ten days later, Ling Shan’er’s message arrived on schedule.
“Mr. Shi, the modules and supplies you ordered have been delivered to the designated warehouse, and your access rights have been granted. You can retrieve them at any time.”
Shi Hanfeng confirmed the delivery via his terminal, and as he viewed the list—featuring a standalone house module blending modern minimalism with traditional Chinese eaves, sumptuously furnished, along with mountains of compressed food crates, sealed water tanks, and various improved seed packets—he couldn’t help but marvel again at the efficiency and generosity of the official channels.
Just looking at the house design, he realized his own funds could only afford the exterior—he’d really hit the jackpot.
Unconsciously, he felt a growing sense of debt.
Without delay, he headed to the warehouse. The massive facility was deserted, and with a thought, he scanned the supplies.
The next moment, the entire house module and the boxes of supplies vanished, transferred into the vast space of the Dust Song Pot, leaving only an empty warehouse behind.
Returning to the Dust Song Pot, the scene had transformed: an elegant three-bedroom house stood on the grassy field, with supplies neatly stacked nearby.
Shi Hanfeng spent some time arranging the furniture to his taste, then selected the first batch of drought-resistant, high-yield Black Sweet Potato, Jade Wheat, and several types of quick-growing leafy green seeds, establishing a small test field beside the house, sowing, irrigating, and cultivating in one fluid motion.
There was no rush for living creatures—he’d try a couple before the mission deadline to ensure there were no issues.
The days that followed grew even more structured and fulfilling.
By day, he immersed himself in the world within the Pot—honing his abilities, managing his little world, occasionally monitoring the growth of his crops; by night, he returned to reality, sparred and joked with Xu Chaoyun to catch up on essential world news; before sleep, he’d return to the Pot once more to check on his plants.
Watching Black Sweet Potato sprouts break through the earth and Jade Wheat unfurl their shoots, he felt a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
This was his personal haven, his secret base.
In addition, every night before sleeping, he would lie down holding the Zanpakuto, trying to communicate with the Sword Spirit, but the Sword Spirit never responded, as if it, too, had fallen into slumber with the night.
A month passed in this busy yet peaceful rhythm.
Shi Hanfeng’s control over his power grew more refined, the crops in his test field thrived, and the ecology within the Dust Song Pot grew ever more vibrant due to his presence and the nourishing energy of Fengrao.
Only the Sword Spirit remained silent.
On the last night, the two didn’t play games as usual, but sat in the suite’s living room, sipping energy drinks and chatting.
I wonder what kind of weird place the next world will be.
Xu Chaoyun took a big gulp, his tone uncertain.
I heard it’s random—anything could happen.
Shi Hanfeng gazed out at the eternal lights of Qiming Star Center beyond the window, his tone calm.
Just be prepared.
Don’t worry, Fengzi!
Xu Chaoyun slapped him on the shoulder, excitement in his eyes.
I found out that once both people reach LV2, they can team up to explore! If there’s anything you can’t handle, I’ll help you.
Shi Hanfeng smiled without saying more, just raising his drink can.
Xu Chaoyun immediately understood, lifting his can to clink with his.
In the crisp sound, the two exchanged smiles, saying everything without words.
Both knew their brief respite was over, and a new journey was about to begin.
Shi Hanfeng gazed at the endless night sky outside the window, his eyes calm and resolute.
He needed more power—to protect those he wanted to protect, and to never again be at the mercy of others.
A new world—here I come.